The Lucy One: For the love of Zefron

Alright folks, let’s talk about The Lucky One. Thank you Nicholas Sparks for another silly romance movie, they are the best Monday night movies around.

Things I learned from this movie:
- If I have PTSD, I will be miraculously healed by walking from Colorado to Louisiana.
- If I have one tattered walled sized photo of an individual, I will be able to find said individual in a small town. I will not need any other information… because in this small town, they aren’t concerned with stalkers, internet trollers, abductors or any thing else of that sort.

Okay, enough about the ridiculous. Let’s talk about what was so amazing about this film.

Zac Efron is so freak yeah attractive! I coach teenagers and a while back they asked me what celebrity I would “realistically” date because we were around the same age. I was not allowed to say John Krazinski, Jason Segel or anyone else above 30 (I like the funny guys. Sue me). I said Zac Efron (24) or Kellan Lutz (27). This time we are obviously going based on looks. They proceeded to laugh at me (like usual). Some of them claimed that both actors are teenagers. I reassured them that just because they play teenagers in movies does not make them teenagers in real life! They are my age; therefore I clearly have a chance of dating/ marrying one or both of them!

Okay another weird thing about the movie. We are used to Zac being a teenager in movies, so for him to play his own age was a little weird.

Wow, enough with the tangents. It was a cute romantic movie. Honestly, it was exactly what I expected. But really, wasn’t your favorite part of the movie when Zac had his shirt off? It was mine. Even though it didn’t happen nearly as much as it should have.

I would like to thank:
- Nicholas Sparks for giving us this masterpiece.
- The production team for casting Zefron. We will be forever grateful.
- Zac's personal trainer... for obvious reasons.

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Mishmash weekends: April

These past couple weekends have been super fun filled. Last weekend I went north to visit my grandparents and see my friend Jenna’s beautiful baby boy. This past weekend I went out to The Canyon at Washington Family Ranch for discipleship weekend. Let’s please just take note of how annoying the name change of Wildhorse Canyon has been. Yes, the Washington family rocks our socks and donated a lot of money to revolutionize what it means to go to Young Life camp, but I struggle. I assumed it would be an easier transition… like when someone gets married. Eventually it is easy to call them by their new last name. But Washington Family Ranch doesn't quite roll off the tongue. I guess it will just take a little more time… even though it has already been a few years…

Weekend numero uno:
Visiting Jenna was so wonderful. My sister, Jenna, our friend Sarah and I all spent the entire afternoon gabbing, gossiping, laughing and fawning over baby Jackson. He is seriously an angel baby. We were there for four-ish hours and he didn’t cry once!

Mama and baby

Sister and perfect baby Jackson

Weekend numero dos:
Being at WFR is always special. It is truly a peaceful place where you can feel God’s presence. Not only did I have fun, but it was a weekend about discipleship. Each talk and seminar had something practical to offer. I felt like I left with more than just a challenge or broader understanding (which is how I commonly feel after a sermon), but also with practical things that I can put into action right away. Things that will help me grow in my relationship with Jesus and love the people in my life better. It was a worth while weekend.

…and we laughed a lot!

With my gurl Nicole. Fun fact: she loves Whitney Port. 

All the ladies. I have no idea how this picture turned out so awesome! 

April weekends are killing it! 

Sorry… I'm an Aries.

Last week I was watching Say Yes to the Dress with some peeps and we were taken aback by a random bridezilla who made the most ludicrous statement. Please take note that people say crap like this all the time.

How it went down:
Me: I would want Sarah or Keisha to be my consultant.
Lauren: Anyone but Claudia. She is new and totally sucks.
Marina: Fo sho! Totally sucks.
Libby: She didn’t even ask the price point!

Clearly we are versed and highly concerned about the happenings of Say Yes to the Dress.

Okay, back to the point of this post. The aforementioned bride who was being featured on the show said (during her interview), “I can’t make up my mind, what do they expect? I’m a Libra!” …or something similar. What!? Who says crap like that?

Then we got into a discussion about how illogical it is when people blame character flaws on their astrological sign. It has been a running joke ever since.

A recent text convo I had with Marina:
Me:  They expect me to work? Not gonna happen. I can't help it, I'm an Aries!
Marina:  They're weirded out that I'm a bitch? I can't help it. I'm a scorpio.
Me:  Seriously.

Obviously we are kidding, but still. It has become my favorite joke/excuse for EVERYTHING! “Libby, I cannot throw away the wet paper towel that I left on the counter. It goes against the very core of my being! Are you not aware that I am an Aries!?” Bahaha! Okay, you get the point.

"You expect me to walk? I'm an Aries. Carry me." 

I have no idea what characteristics actually go along with astrological signs. I just think it is hysterical that people use them as an excuse.

Disclaimer: I know that some people truly believe in astrological signs. This is not an attack on you, just a personal opinion.

Brunch in Bridgetown: Jam on Hawthorne

Last weekend I went to Jam for brunch with some ladies of mine. It was SO good. Maybe one of my favorite spots thus far. They have a large menu with tons of options. They also have lots of killer homemade jams… hence the name.

I was with a vegetarian friend, as well as a vegan friend. They both had ample options, a pretty rare occurrence on the brunch scene (yes, even in Portland). Usually there is only one or two things of the vegan variety. I did not go vegan and had a delicious Benedict.

One other thing to mention is the bloody mary menu. Yep. There was a menu. In all honesty, I did not love my classy mary. There wasn’t enough flavor. It had heat, but not a lot of spice. On the flip side, Cameron ordered the sassy and it was delicious. I simply ordered wrong. I think it was a subliminal message... always choose sassy over classy?... hmm. Noted for next time!

Other high points: The mimosas come in pint glasses. We only waited for 10 min. Our food was out in a reasonable amount of time. They let us substitute stuff. The coffee was constantly flowing. We got a booth.

Less than high points: Our waiter was super schmoozy. He even had us sing My Girl with him at one point. Usually I love that kind of stuff! We just weren't the right audience that day. Read the crowd dude... read the crowd.

A serious BM and an even more serious mimosa!

Amaze-balls Benedict. A standout difference was the real thick-cut ham. SO much better than a slice of Canadian bacon.

I really recommend Jam. You will have great food in a fun location.

Portland on Dwellable

PDX Blogger Meet-up

Calling Portland bloggers! There is a meet-up tomorrow. I will not be in attendance this time, but there will be lots of awesome bloggers there to get to know. I have been to a couple of these events and they are always really rewarding and fun. Email me if you want the details!

Created by Jenni. She is awesome and you should be friends with her. 

TGIF!!

“We are like genuinely obsessed with your shows.”

Yes. We went to see Lauren Conrad last night!! In the car and the whole time we were waiting, we kept talking about what we were going to say to LC.

Some ideas that were floated around:
“My friend went to college with Steven and said he is an ass.”
“So what was up with that Jason thing?”
“Why the H didn’t you go to Paris?”
“Lo is my favorite.”
“You are my fashion icon.”
“Watched your cat-eye tutorial today… it was tight.”
“I’m not feeling the photo choice on the back cover.”
“We just wanted to meet you and are not going to be reading this crap.”
“You are so pretty!”
“Do you still party with Polster?”
“Wanna grab a drink after this? I’ll drop a pin so you know where to meet us.”

What was actually said: 
Me: “Hi! How are you doing?
LC: “Great! Your outfit is so cute.” (YES you guys. LC liked my outfit! Booya! Note: she did not say this to Mar or Lib.)
Me: “Thank you! We have been fans forever. We used to get together in the dorms to watch Laguna.”
LC: “Haha.” (Inner thought of LC: Why the F is this awesomely dressed chick bringing up Laguna? This is my book signing. Lag Beach is not my proudest accomplishment.)
LC: “My girlfriends all do that with Gossip Girl. None of us even really like it anymore; it is just an excuse to get together.”
Libby: “Yeah.” (in a breathy voice)
Marina: “We are like genuinely obsessed with your shows.”
Me: “… and your books!” (had to throw that in since it was a book signing)
LC: “Well, I hope you guys enjoy this one!” (while handing back the books)
All: “Thank you so much! It was great to meet you!”

About 5 steps away:
Libby to Marina: “Seriously? 'We are obsessed with you?' That is what you decided to say to Lauren Conrad!!?"

You guys. She is so pretty in real life. It is almost unbearable. Please take note that LC probably heard the reprimand from Libby to Marina. We were like 2 feet away from the table. Bahaha! Not like Libby has room to talk, she only said one word. We promptly went to the Doug Fir for burgs and bevs. All in all, it was a successful evening and meeting of Lauren Conrad. We are basically BFFs at this point.

Some photo proof that it happened:

Waiting in line sucks.

Not a great photo... but the only one of all three of us from last nights life changing event!

She is so freaking pretty!! Her hair and makeup were absurdly perfect.

Yep. Too pretty. 

Just texting w/ LC... no big. 

The illegal picture I took from closer up! Booya!

It was really fun to go meet Lauren Conrad. We really have been following her career since '04-'05ish. Plus, now we know how the book signing thing works. (FYI: It involves wrist bands and stuff.) I hope the Kardashians come to PDX some time for a book signing. Khloe is my favorite. You know, just for the record.

Mishmash moments: Birthday and Easter

My birthday and Easter overlapped this year. This rarely happens! The last time I can remember this happening was sometime during elementary school. It makes things quite easy. My family only has to get together once and friends were in from out of town. 'twas kickin.

The Mish:

Like I mentioned before, this past weekend was awesome. I have always wanted to try Paley’s Place, so a few of my friends accompanied me there for a little b-day celebration. It was delicious!!! Seriously amazing. I had Dungeness crab risotto. I feel like I don’t need to say anything other than that. DUNGENESS CRAB RISOTTO!!

The day whole day was splendid. Went to the chiropractor, met my sister for lunch, got my hair did at the Blowout Bar in the Pearl, ate awesome food and had awesome drinks. PLUS I got to spend the evening laughing with some of my favorite people.

The Mash:

Sunday was Easter and I made Lemon Meringue pie. I make it every year. I love how tart and delish it is. Everyone who knows me will tell you that I prefer super rich chocolate over fruit desserts. It is true. I will always go with chocolate. But Lemon pie is the perfect Easter dessert.

On a totally different note...

You guys! Tonight LC is going to be in Portland. Yes, LC (as in Lauren Conrad). She will be here for a book signing. I really don't want to buy her book at all. I tried to get through her first one... but as soon as I realized it was about a girl who moves to LA and gets on a reality TV show I was done. I figure I will need to buy her new book though. I think that is the deal with book signings. Okay, truth time. The real reason I am excited is because I want to see what she wears! Oh em gee... what should I wear!? 

Ellen’s Dance Dare: Portland Edition

Hi everyone. First I will say that today is my birthday. Yes, I am 25 years old and I had the BEST weekend celebrating. There were some gatherings, great brunch (review to follow), Easter, the Masters… the list goes on and on. Can you believe I got super into the Masters this year? I haven’t like golf this much since before Tiger was outed as a perv.

One of my weekend highlights was a lovely walk on the waterfront Saturday afternoon. Not only was it beautiful out, but Marina and I decided to take the opportunity to film for our Ellen’s Dance Dare Challenge video. You may be asking yourself “What is the Dance Dare Challenge?” Well my friend, it is a HIGH-LARIOUS challenge Ellen has presented to her viewers. Clicky click to learn more.

Marina and I have been discussing doing this for a while and this weekend the perfect opportunity was thrown at us as we were walking on the waterfront. I then took the liberty to do some editing, added some musica… and voila!

Here is the final product, as well as some photos of the day. Enjoy!

I hope you all had happy Easters!

He is risen!

He is risen indeed!

Easter is this weekend and I think we should reflect. I love Easter. It is my favorite of all holidays. It is a time to remember the greatest sacrifice there ever was and a love we don’t deserve.

Think about how many stories and movies carry themes with reflections of Christ’s sacrifice for us. It is a big deal. So let’s spend this Sunday thinking about ways we can honor and thank the one who gave His life for us. It’s not about eggs, bunnies or a honey baked ham. (although I do love me some honey baked ham.)

It is about Love.

Jesus is God. God is Love. What if we all had Love?

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. -John 15:13


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"Second place? Hell, yeah!"

This is a quote from Bring It On. I completely understand if you have no idea what I am talking about. Be forewarned, this is another post about cheerleading.

I just got back from USA Nationals in Anaheim, CA. We (the 5 coaches) took our squad of teenagers down to compete in the high school cheerleading nationals. Let me tell you now, it was a very exciting trip! Not only did we get to watch our kids compete at a very high level, but we got to play in Disneyland!

As coaches, we have a fun relationship and dynamic. I could go to all of them about anything and they would listen and judge me way less than a normal friend! Haha. Really, they probably wouldn't judge at all. Plus, these women are packed full of awesome advice. They are all so different too. It is like having every perspective you could possibly need right at your finger tips! We always joke about how as a coaching staff we equal one perfect coach. And you know what? It is true!

Space Mountain t-shirts. Does it get much cooler?

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad! 

Now for some updates on the competition:
Background: Wilson cheer has been traveling to USA Nationals semi-regularly since 2004 and hasn't placed above 5th.

This year our cheerleaders competed in the hardest division we have ever been in… the small division. This division is comprised of teams who pick their 12 best. Some of these teams may have programs of 20 kids and they choose to pull their absolute best in order to dominate the competition. We prepared our kids for this reality before we went, reminding them that this year’s division would be full of squads with concentrated talent. Our goal was to make finals.

Our girls hit a perfect routine in preliminaries. There were no regrets. They all recognized that if they didn’t make finals with their best, then they were okay with that. Not only did our girls make finals, our squad would be going into finals sitting in second place!!! We were flabbergasted!

Finals day was just as flawless. They girls performed their little hearts out and were going to be happy with whatever place they got, accepting that it was the exact placement they deserved. We were hoping to just to make it into the top three, knowing that many of the teams from prelims had cleaned up their routines for finals.

Feeling great after their performance! 

I love this picture from the announcement of awards. I can feel the nerves. 

As they announced the placements our girls grasped hands in anticipation. 5th place… 4th place… (still no Wilson? We placed in the top 3!! We were stoked.)  3rd place… (Cue the tears. Top 2!?) 2nd place… Wilson High School!!! It was an amazing feeling. What a testament to the hard work our girls had put in all year.

This makes me tear up! 

Our senior captains. We sure will miss them! 

I love that this is going to be a life lesson that all of these kids can take with them. They worked hard, they did their best and they came out on top. It was incredible!